Black Doldrums

30 BEST TRACKS OF 2024

Posted on by JL

ALL TOGETHER

TRACK BY TRACK

– 1 –

Band: HINDS
Who: Sizzling Spanish
ecstatic pop fury.

Track: Superstar

Piece from their 4th LP,
titled Viva Hinds

TUTV: Perfect 24 Carat power pop tune with a rhapsodic impact
on your ears. Sonic euphoria that causes a prompt outburst of
dazzling delight.

Fantástico!

Instagram – Linktree
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– 2 –

Band: KINGS OF LEON
Track: Mustang

The Nashville family launched their 9th album
named Cand We Please Have Fun’ last May.

TUTV: A roasting steamroller that turns up the heat even
more when the cooking chorus kicks in and blows the roof off.
Red-hot-blooded belter.

Bad-ass.

Instagram – Spotify
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– 3 –

Band: FONTAINES D.C.
Track: Starbuster

Unquestionable standout from the Irish indie
stars’ much applauded 4th LP Romance.

TUTV: Intense jam, rollin’ on with a bone-chilling flow and
frontman Grian Chatten raps all over it with his characteristic
uptight parlando and grasping for his breath every time the
refrain comes on.

Breath-taking.

Instagram – Spotify
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– 4 –

Band: GUSTAF
Who: Swirling 5-piece from Brooklyn led by charismatic frontwoman
Lydia Gammil released their 2nd album Package Pt. 2 last April.

Track: Starting And Staring

TUTV: Funkier than the B-52’s in their heyday, and  Gustaf spin around
with more dash and class than Bodega and Parquet Courts. Fact!

Knockout.

Instagram – Spotify
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– 5 –

Band: STRAND
Who: Power pop quartet
from Dublin, Ireland.

Track: Progress

Part of their upcoming 5-track EP
that’ll land early next year.

“Progress is a song about changing places, people and times.”

TUTV: Epic. Grandiose. Staggering. Amplified guitar-pop at its mind-blowing best.
One of those not-everyday puissant killer tracks overwhelms your emotions
from the first spin.

Superb.


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Linktree – Spotify
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– 6 –

Artist: GAVIN FRIDAY
Who: The former flamboyant spearhead of Irish
new art wave act Virgin Prunes (1977-1986).

Track: The Church Of Love

From his new album
Ecce Homo.

TUTV: Glistening electro-pop splendor. Uplifting, jaunty and
brisk. Trust me, you’ll want to join Friday‘s church afterward.

Believe.
Here.
Now.


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Instagram – Spotify
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– 7 –


Press photo by Zac Bayly

Band: AMYL AND THE SNIFFERS

Track: You Should Not Be Doing that

Stand-alone single released after they dropped their
3rd full-length Cartoon Darkness last October.

TUTV: A searing left/right uppercut. Amyl is sniffin’ again
as we are used to by now, but I never get tired of her
kickass briskness.

Wowzers.

Instagram – Spotify
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– 8 –


Press photo

Band: DITZ
Who: Earthquake-causing
hit team from Brighton, UK.

Track: Taximan

Piece from their forthcoming second longplayer, baptized
Never Exhale. It’ll hit the streets on 25 January 2025.

TUTV: Taximan does your head in the way we, brainbangers, like it.
Bam Bang Boom. No mercy for the wicked. Manic mayhem as usual.
You’d better check out if Robert ‘Travis’ De Niro is behind the wheel
before taking a cab.

Helter-skelter.


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Linktree – Bandcamp
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– 9 –

Band: THE RATS
Who: 5 ambitious rascals
from Ghent, Belgium.

Track: OLD FLAMES

Cut from their excellent
debut EP Disco To Disco.

The song is about rediscovering old lovers after a night out from disco(theque) to disco(theque), with references to The Pogues’ Shane MacGowan and his excessive
drinking, and a legendary Belgian crooner.

TUTV: Full steam ahead from the get-go. All engines on. Decibels up, amps up.
The breakneck speed and the relentless synth/percussion riff make your head
spin 360°. I dare you to catch up with this missile all the way.

Hit! Hit! Hit!


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Instagram – Bandcamp
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strong>- 10 –

Band: LAMBRINI GIRLS
Who: A two-motor punk bulldozer from Brighton, UK who have built
a notorious reputation over the past 2 years, on record and on stage.

Track: Love

Cut from the duo’s upcoming debut LP
Who Let The Dogs Out. Out next year, on
January 10.

TUTV: Without a shadow of a loud doubt, one of the grrrlz’s best stormers so far.
An amazeballs wall-of-nasty-guitar/bass hullabaloo, a ruthless octopus drummer
and Phoebe‘s best vocals. Hell-tastic.

‘True love is nothing more than the wrong hill to die on”.

Dynamite.

Instagram – Spotify
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– 11 –

Band: THE MYSTERINES
Who: Impassioned powerhouse pop indies from
Liverpool fronted by ravishing voice Lia Metcalfe.

Track: SINK YA TEETH

Single from their 2nd LP
Afraid Of Tomorrows.

TUTV: A maddening master blaster.
Haunting electricity and Metcalfe
mystique.

Cool as fuck!

Linktree – Spotify
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< – 12 –

Band: SPRINTS
Who: Irish post-punk sensation.

Track: TICKING
Opener of their kick-ass
debut LP Letter To Self.

TUTV: The jaw-dropping vitality these volcanic Irish beatniks develop here is off the charts. They build a near-unbearable tension and explode insanely, time after time, along the rough ride. Vocalist/songwriter Karla Chubb knows terrifically well how to double your adrenalin production.

Timebomb.


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Instagram – Spotify
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– 13 –

Band: GETDOWN SERVICES
Who: Two flamboyant
weirdos from Bristol, UK.

Track: DOG DRIBBLE

From the duo’s brand new 6-track EP
Your Medal’s In The Post.

TUTV: Dog Dribble operates somewhere between Yard Act and Sleaford Mods.
Its limbs-activating groove is simply irresistible. Get up, stand up, and fight
for your right to bounce up and down like mad.

Buzzing.

Instagram – Linktree
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– 14 –

Band: FAT DOG
Who: South London-based gang that made thousands
and ‘true love is nothing more than the wrong hill to die on”.
thousands of ears go bonkers with their first-rate debut
longplayer Woof.

Track: All The Same

TUTV: A ballistic disco-punk whopper to end and start all (il)legal
raves with. When the huge orchestral injections blast out of your
vibrating speakers you know that these misfits are your new
favorite dogs. Hallelujah!

Barking party mayhem.

Instagram – Spotify
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– 15 –


Press photo by Cal McIntyre

Band: RIDE
Legendary British shoegazers.

Track: Last Frontier

Toptier one from their toptier
7th LP, named Interplay.

TUTV: A sickly sticky earworm with
an orgasmic chorus. Less shoegaze,
more pop bliss. Moonstruck stroke.

Bingo.

Instagram – Spotify
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– 16 –

MAYFLOWER MADAME
Who: Norwegian pysch-pop outfit.

This Norwegian band specializes in a dark and distinctive blend
of post-punk, shoegaze and psych-noir. So far they released two
albums.

Track: A Foretold Ecstasy

One of the stellar singles from their
new, third, album Insight.

TUTV: Drums and bass team up for an incessantly beat that carries
this instantaneously infectiuos trip, along with a magnetizing Cure-esque
guitar riff that gets you in a trance.

Truly hypnotizing from start to finish with velvety vocals
and darkwavish synths in the back adding a twilight tone.

Sparkling.

Instagram – Linktree
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– 17 –

Band: BLACK DOLDRUMS
Who: British synth-pop-Goth trio with key
members Kevin Gibbard and Sophie Landers

Track: Summer Breeze

From their second LP,
named In Limerence.

TUTV: No, this is not a New Order song but it could easily be one, actually a stellar one. Summer Breeze sparkles from the very start to finish with scintillating guitar riffs, zealous percussion, shiny synths and Gibbard‘s eager vocals. It’s a pure pop pearl for all seasons.

Paramount.

Instagram Spotify
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– 18 –

Artist: ST. VINCENT
Who: Glamorous songstress
Annie Carke from NYC.

Track: Big Time Nothing
Cut from her 7th LP
All Born Screaming.

TUTV: Sexy crowded nightclub stomper.
Dancefloor filler. Orgastic titillation.

Sigh!

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– 19 –

Artists: ARROWS OF ATHENA (Boston, MA)
Who: A pandemic project that found its two main players – multi-instrumentalist and producer Scott Lerner and vocalist and lyricist Jac-Lyn Gibson – reuniting after the latter spent some time away from music, Arrows of Athena are crafting a distinct sound on
their own terms, bridging usually disparate ends of the pop and rock spectrum for an illuminated sound of big dance beats, heavy riffs, and melodic intensity.

New single: Reckless Heart

Piece from their debut
album The Ghost

On this song the duo explores the mental and emotional work required
for a successful marriage, and how we’re often careless with love.

TUTV: I’m quite sure that Arrows Of Athena are huge fans of former Swedish glam and glitter pop duo Roxette. The bliss and blitz at play on Reckless Heart is sonically similar. Sizzling guitars, battering drums/bass grooves, sensuous vocals and a peppy chorus combine here for a power pop pearl that flames lustrously. Orchestral melodiousness, fiery 90s spirit, and musical. An invigorating joyride.

And eye-catching animated video clip.

WATCH/LISTEN

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– 20 –


📸 @ebony_alexander_media

Band: VIRGINS
Who: Young up-and-coming
Belfast-based shoegazers .

Track: s o f t e r
Single from their fascinating debut LP
nothing hurt and anything
was beautiful

TUTV: This is a psychedelic shoegaze stunner, a multi-layered symphony
propelled by about a thousand guitars, a mindboggling bass riff, and combative
drums, while Rebecca Dow‘s ghostly vocals come from another galaxy.

Heavenly.

Instagram – Linktree
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– 21 –

Band: LEG PUPPY 2.0
Who: Madcap techno act from London.

Track: Welcome To Your New Future
Piece from their best album, so far, baptized Humanity 2.0.

TUTV: What’s in store for humankind. Nuclear war or peace and free love?
Or will we be just another brick in the wall? Whatever happens, never stop
pirouetting yourself dizzy to Leg Puppy.

We don’t need your education
We don’t need no your thought control

Move those legs.

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– 22 –


Art by Jeffrey Boyle

Band: THE DARTS
Who: Unwearying garage
rock turbo from Phoenix, Arizona.

Track: Ppur Another
From this year’s fabulous
new LP Boomerang.

TUTV: The most energetic, exciting, pizzazy band around. Cooking on record and on stage. Sultry garage rock for party animals. This is my absolute favorite of this years Boomerang LP. Chipper tune.

Have a drink, folks.

Linktree – Spotify
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– 23 –

Band: RAPTUROUS
Who: British hip-rock-hop squad.

Track: Repeat After Me

TUTV: Think Cypress Hill fronted by Zack de la Rocha, rattling like
a rapid-fire riot-gun. An avid anthem that celebrates freedom and
invites you to shout along while pumping your fists in the air.

Repeat after them.

Instagram – Linktree
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– 24 –

Band: BAD MOVES
Who: Fervent guitar-pop
quartet from Washington.

Track: Hallelujah
Piece from their 3rd LP,
titled Wearing Out The Refrain.

TUTV: Hallelujah rages against the anti-LGBTQ
haters with knives between their teeth and an
unstoppable drive.

“To express oneself, now expressly forbidden/ That’s a spiritual hell, that’s
a new prohibition/ And they’ll boil you down to reproductive function/ When
they see you as a vessel and not as a person!”

Bang-on.

Instagram – Linktree
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– 25 –

Band: CANYONS AND LOCUSTS
Who: Boston‘s hefty garage blues-rock duo.

Track: Anna Save A Life
.
TUTV: A manic motherrocker from a duo who sound as a 4-motor hit-and-run team. Riff-o-rama all the way while bashing drums do your head in. Garage punk ‘n’ roll at its filthy best. Call your own Anna and challenge the anti-decibels police.

Pretty sick.


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– 26 –

Band: DUMB POSH HIPPIES (hilarious name!)
Who: Psych-influenced, three-piece punk band from
Dublin/Derry with a love for big riffs and pace.

Track: Scrunched Up Fist

TUTV: Wham bloody wham bam. Expect a sharp-splitting punk rock juggernaut. Amps up and full steam ahead. No rest for the wicked with this razor-blade cutting, head over heels bombshell spiced with sneering vocals. Wham bloody wah-wah guitars bam. Scrunched Up Fist hits your face really hard. Hurry-scurry stroke.

Hells bells.


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Instagram – Spotify
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– 27 –

Band: SOFT SKIES INC
Who: Philadelphia-based identical-twin duo and longtime musical confidants
Ryan and Martin Rex, their shared sonic compass draws a straight line from the
classic alternative of their youth to the modern alternative and dream-pop of
today.

Track: Sooner Or Later

A song of hope, riding those tender waves of nostalgia, understanding that a loss of innocence comes with age but that we emerge from the other side with newfound perspective and awareness.

Melodic guitar pop at its Sebadoh best. Uptempo shoe-slacker-gaze
spiced with scintalling synths and ethereal vocals. Start dreaming in
overdrive.

Enrapturing.


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Linktree
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– 28 –


Photo credit: Thandiwe Zivengwa

Artist: SPIELMANN
Who:Eager singer-songwriter from Leeds, UK.

Track: Just Like Everybode Else
From this year’s EP, titled Fifteen Minutes With Spielmann.

TUTV: Just Like Everybody Else is a glorious, full-orchestrated pop gem, that transfers you in an eye/ear blink to a sonic dreamland with its affecting melodiousness, riveting chorus and warm-hearted vocals. Three highly-entertaining minutes and twenty seconds with Spielmann

Instagram – Linktree
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– 29 –

Artist: KIM DEAL

Track: Crystal Breath
Single from Deal’s solo debut full lenght
Nobody Loves You More.

TUTV: Quite special and different from anything
Deal has been done before. EBM bass dynamics,
trip-hop quivering and a spiky guitar riff.

Instagram – Linktree
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– 30 –

Artist: LAUREN MAYBERRY
Who: Synth-pop band CHVRCHES‘
Scottish voice/face.

Track: Something In The Air
Superb song from her solo debut LP
Vicious Creature.

TUTV: A sky-scraping tune, a stunning slice of elevating music
with a multi-storey chorus and Mayberry‘s crystal voice going
airborne.

Spectacular vocals.

Instagram – Spotify
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20 Best Tracks Of The Month – SEPTEMBER 2024

Posted on by JL

ALL TOGETHER


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TRACK BY TRACK

Band: PRIMAL SCRREAM
Pop/rock legends fronted by Bobby Gillespie.
Track: READY TO GO HOME

From their 12th LP, titled Come Head,
out on November 8.

Sounds like Talking Heads backed by a gospel
choir. Sing hallelujah, brothers and sisters.

Linktree
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Artist: GAVIN FRIDAY
Irish cult singer/songwriter best known as flamboyant
spearhead of former new-art-wave act Virgin Prunes (1977-1986).

Track: ECCE HOMO
The title track from his 5th solo LP,
that’ll land on October 25.

It’s a stunning, monumental piece of mythical Goth music that grabs
you by the throat when the riveting chorus kicks in. Instant classic.

Astonishing symphony.

Instagram
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Artist: ELIAS B. RONNENFELT
Who: Frontman of Danish pop-punk
heroes Iceage.

Track: WORM GREW A SPINE
Cut from his upcoming solo
debut LP Like Lovers Do.

Zippy and disarming earworm.

Instagram
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Band: XIU XIU
Who: Californian, now Berlin-based noise explorers,
who are experimenting around since 2002.

Track: MAESTRO ONE CHORD

Petrifying piece from their brand new, startling album
13″ Frank Beltrame Italian Stiletto with Bison Horn Grips.

Bone-chilling.

Instagram
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Band: BABY SCHILLACI
Who: Welsh alt-act producing a raw, unfiltered sound. Rooted in post-punk
and noise, the band’s aggressive yet intricately layered compositions evoke
comparisons to seminal acts like Mclusky, At the Drive-In, and Fugazi.

Track: BLUNT FORCE TRAUMA
From their upcoming debut album
‘The Soundtrack’ out next week.

A barbed slice of mayhew. Think Sonic Youth going forth
and back, and finishing with a flabbergasting finale.


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Linktree
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Band: BLACK DOLDRUMS
Who: British synth-pop-Goth trio, with key
members Kevin Gibbard and Sophie Landers.

Track: SUMMER BREEZE
Song from their their second longplayer
In Limerence which lands on October 18.

No, this is not a New Order song but it could easily be one, actually a stellar one.
It’s a pure synth-pop pearl for all seasons. Uplifting, heart-warming, and gratifying.

Instagram
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Artist: NOANNE
Who: Singer-songwriter from
Prague, Czech Republic

Track: EVERYTHING I HATE ABOUT YOU

The high-octane rock ‘n’ roll explosion tells the darkly humorous and gripping tale of a woman who has taken drastic measures against a deceitful lover. Noanne ventures into uncharted emotional territory, portraying a dramatic shift from dependence to outright animosity—and beyond.

Big tune. Titanic voice.
Brassy and sassy score.

Instagram
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Band: THE VOIDZ
Who: Side-project of The Strokes‘
frontman Julian Casablancas.

Track: PROPHECY OF THE DRAGON
From their brand-new 3rd longplayer
Like All Before You.

Sounds like a full-of-pep corker Casablancas wrote for
The Strokes back in the early days. High-tension stuff.

Instagram
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Act: LEG PUPPY 2.0
Who: Hardest working drop-out
band in EBM land based in London.

Track: DROP A DROP

Here comes the techno drop of
all techno drops. Droptastic.


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Linktree
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Photo credit: Alberto Santinon

Band: WAX HEAD
Who: Chaotic, drummer-fronted
post-punk quartet from Manchester.

Track: RUSTY CUTTER


Single artwork

Bad-ass havoc, garage punk madness and unbridled turmoil to test
your loudspeakers’ potency. Wax Head are a ballistic bunch of noizz
rioters.

Alert your neighbors
before you press play.


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Instagram
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Band: THANK
Who: 4 underground
noiseniks from Leeds, UK.

Track: DO IT BADLY
Piece from their upcoming album I Have A Physical
Body That Can Be Harmed, out on November 8.


Artwork

Barbed wire guitars. Wham-bloody-bam percussion. Excorsistic
spit and sneering. Sounds gloriously vicious, right? You betcha.


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Instagram
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(Lille, France – February 2024 – Photo by Turn Up The Volume)

Band: LAMBRINI GIRLS
Who: Brighton‘s female
in your face warriors.

Track: COMPANY CULTURE

Another Formula 1 crasher.
Punkier than a shiny Ferrari.

Instagram
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Band: THE BAD UPS
Who: 4 punk indies
from Philadelphia.

Track: BETTER THAN YOU
From their brand new blustery
longplayer Life Of Sin.

Think Green Day arm-wrestling with Blink-182.
Lots of panache, muscles and punk buzz.


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Instagram
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Band: SOME REMAIN
Who: Young punk gunslingers
from Ireland.

Track: DEATH DEFYING STUNTS
The first taken from an upcoming EP
slated for release early 2025.

Not only does it defy death, it pretty much defies description as it takes you on a glorious and wild ride through early UK punk (Read About Seymour – Swell Maps) and surf rock (Miserlou – Dick Dale) with some Dr Feelgood and The Cribs thrown in for good measure.

“A hectic party tune that leaves you feeling like you’ve
just landed a sick kickflip over a tank of sharks.”

Bloodcurdling racket.
Demonic hit-and-run.
Post-punk-tastic gusto.


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Linktree
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📸 @alexbladesphot

Band: COMMON CULTURE
Who: Rousing, fiddle driven alternative
folk band from Barnsley, England.

Track: WASH AWAY THE DAY

CC have that uplifting drive of the Levellers and the eurythmic catchinesss of
Mumford & Sons. Wash Away The Day is a brisk pop tune going forth and back, from
low-key to vivacious and back, while ardent harmonies and energetic violins complete
the swirling sonic picture.

Instagram
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Band: SOFT SKIES INC
Who: Philadelphia-based identical-twin duo and longtime musical confidants
Ryan and Martin Rex, their shared sonic compass draws a straight line from the
classic alternative of their youth to the modern alternative and dream-pop of
today.

Track: SOONER OR LATER

A song of hope, riding those tender waves of nostalgia, understanding that a loss of innocence comes with age but that we emerge from the other side with newfound perspective and awareness.

Melodic guitar pop at its Sebadoh best. Uptempo shoe-slacker-gaze
spiced with scintalling synths and ethereal vocals. Start dreaming in
overdrive. Right here.


.
Linktree
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Band: VERRA CRUZ
Who: British alt-rock trio, known
for their hard-hitting anthems.

Track: HANG ON TO THE SUN

“Hang on to the sun, hang on til the wind and waves subside,
hang on to the sun til you leave all your worries behind.”

Mighty power ballad bringing epic musing moments
of Pearl Jam and Soundgarden to mind. Top-shelf.

Instagram
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Artist: STEVIE NICKS
Former Fleetwood Mac heroine.
Track: THE LIGHTHOUSE

Nicks: I wrote this song a few months after Roe v Wade was overturned. It seemed like overnight, people were saying ‘what can we, as a collective force, do about this…’ For me,
it was to write a song. It took a while because I was on the road. Then early one morning I was watching the news on TV and a certain newscaster said something that felt like she was talking to me ~ explaining what the loss of Roe v Wade would come to mean. I wrote the song the next morning and recorded it that night.”

A vehement pro-reproductive rights anthem that
overwhelms on the chorus. Nicks‘s impressive voice
lights in the middle.

Instagram
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Band: THE CURE
Track: ALONE

The first composition of the Goth icons’ upcoming 14th LP, their first
in 16 years, titled Songs Of A Lost World. It’ll drop on planet Earth on
November 1st.

Alone is an almost 7-minute funeral march, a slowly progressing lament, layered with mourning synths. Smith only starts singing halfway and augments the sombre atmosphere all the way through. After a couple of spins the songs keeps on coming back to haunt you. Sonic cure for restless minds.

Instagram
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Band: JOHNNY MARR AND THE HEALERS
Who: Short-lived (2001-2004) Johnny Marr project
after he left The Smiths.

Track: THE WAY THAT IT WAS
Previoulsy unreleased song from the deluxe
reissue (released last week) of their one and
only album, named Boomslang.

A sweet 18-carat pop diamond with a melancholic resonance and impassioned
and affecting Marr vocals. No idea why this gripping reverie was hidden for so long,
but happy that my ears can enjoy it today. The Way That It Was wouldn’t have been
out of place on The Verve’s 1997 classic ‘Urban Hymns‘.

Instagram

BLACK DOLDRUMS Shine On A New Pure Pop Pearl For All Seasons ‘SUMMER BREEZE’

Posted on by JL

Daily electricity to load your batteries

20 September 2024

British synth-pop-Goth trio BLACK DOLDRUMS – with key members Kevin Gibbard
and Sophie Landers – launch their second longplayer In Limerence on October 18
via Fuzz Club Records. Info here.

It’s co-produced by Theo Verney (English Teacher, TRAAMS, Egyptian Blue), on which
Black Doldrums’ moody gothic post-punk is at its purest and most atmospheric. Delving into themes of regret, loneliness, confusion and obsession, it’s little wonder that the
album title is ‘In Limerence’ – a state of intense, all-consuming romantic longing: “There
is a constant theme of trying to find happiness in a confusing modern world. In a time of protest, this album is itself a protest by expressing how to feel in such a world.”

Following spine-chilling lead single Hideaway we
get a second rad taster, named SUMMER BREEZE.

Kevin Gibbard (frontman/guitarist): “This song could easily be called ‘second chance’.
It’s not really about summer but summer breeze is used as a metaphor for a period when
given a second chance and a sense of optimism is felt after meeting Sophie. A breath of
fresh air.”


New album artwork

TUTV: No, this is not a New Order song but it could easily be one, actually a stellar one. Summer Breeze sparkles from the very start to finish with scintillating guitar riffs, zealous percussion, shiny synths and Gibbard‘s eager vocals. It’s a pure pop pearl for all seasons. Uplifting, heart-warming, and gratifying. Embrace it with your ears, heart and soul.

WATCH/LISTEN

STREAM


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BUY


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BD: Instagram

Now Watching… New BLACK DOLDRUMS Video

Posted on by JL

For your eyes only

17 April 2022

London’s post-Gothic-punk minds BLACK DOLDRUMS with
key members Sophie Landers and Kevin Gibbard launched their
debut album release DEAD AWAKE a couple of weekes ago
(stream/buy below).

Turn Up The Volume said: The duo combines the haunting drive of the early
Joy Division days the swirling guitar psych-o-billy of Danish duo The Raveonettes
with the lights out, and . a couple of sonic tranquilizers to the mix ) that put your
confused mind to rest. Black Doldrums love the midnight hours and so should you.

One of the full-length’s highlights is Dreamcatcher. An impeccable post-punk trip with glimmering guitars trippin’ around an addictive melody and shadowy voices floating all over it.

Watch the black and white dreamcatchers here…

Full album…


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BLACK DOLDRUMS: Facebook

Reincarnated Disco Beats – BLACK DOLDRUMS Remixed On ‘METEMPSYCHOSIS’ EP

Posted on by JL

8 September 2020

Band: BLACK DOLDRUMS

Who: Psychedelic shoegaze duo featuring Kevin Gibbard & Sophie Landers producing darkwave soudscapes with an intense, rebellious approach, merging rock ‘n’ roll with euphoric, contemporary psych. More about these most thrilling musicians in the
interview Turn Up The Volume had with the pair last year. You can read it here.

EP: METEMPSYCHOSIS – the term refers to transmigration of the soul, especially
its reincarnation after death. The doctrine of metempsychosis arose in ancient
Greek philosophy, and has been recontextualised by modern philosophers such
as Arthur Schopenhauer and Kurt Gödel. The word also plays an important in James
Joyce‘s classic modernist novel Ulysses and is also associated with Nietzsche.

Info: The duo had completed writing their debut LP and planned to head into the studio
in April 2020. As lockdown took effect however, recording was put on hold. With additional time on their hands, the outfit decided to retool five of their previously issued tracks to create the remix EP.

Black Doldrums about the EP: “The approach to this record was to simplify these songs,
allow some space and reveal the roots of the songs, finding the spark that ignited our interest
in writing them the first time around. Going back to the original stems from the studio we discovered so many interesting parts that never made the final record. This time around we were able to explore those sounds more and the songs to have a whole new feel. The process has helped us develop a different approach to making music. Something you’ll see come together for our debut album”.

Score: Lock yourself up, safely, in your basement, dim the lights, put on your headphones and turn up the decibels. Soon your mind will travel to another stereo dimension where you can experience close sonic encounters of the third kind fueled by reincarnated beats and ongoing, repetitive Brian Jonestown Massacre like jams with an otherworldly effect. A fitting soundtrack for the surreal times we live in. Anything can happen when your soul goes on a remixed ride.

See at first the rapid-eye-movement clip for the droning
Palingenesis Remix of It’s A Dandy Massacre…

Stream/buy the full party here…


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10 Questions For Mind-Puzzling British Shoegaze Duo… BLACK DOLDRUMS

Posted on by JL

Discover up and coming artists in 10 questions…

2 October 2019

London‘s psychedelic shoegaze duo BLACK DOLDRUMS is singer-guitarist Kevin Gibbard and drummer Sophia Lacroix. Early last month they released their second, spellbinding EP titled ‘SHE DIVINE’. A haunting record that has a magnetic and puzzling impact on your inner stereo system. Its multi-layered reverberation is capable of messing up your mind and soundtrack your nightmares. Enough reasons to have a chat with this pretty awesome duo about poet Allen Ginsberg, ‘The Good The Bad and The Ugly‘, Ancient Egyptian symbolism and much more cool stuff. But let’s start the acquaintance with some hypnotizing music. Here’s one of the new EP’s highlights ‘Mae’s Desire’…

Hello Kevin and Sophia, thanks
for making time for this interview…

1. When did BLACK DOLDRUMS hit the scene and
what’s the story behind the band’s name?
KG: “We got the name Doldrums from a poem Allen Ginsberg wrote to Jack Kerouac
called ‘The Denver Doldrums‘. It was referred to in the book ‘On The Road‘. I identified
with the book and the relationship of two people and liked the phrase ‘In the Doldrums‘.”
SL: It’s a double meaning for me as it’s also an area of the Atlantic where weather conditions are eerily calm or really stormy, which I think fits our music and the way
it’s structured well.”

2. Which track would you play as an introduction to
your music to people who never heard of you ?
KG: “I’d say ‘Mae’s Desire‘ covers a lot of what we do in terms writing and sound.”
SL: “I still like ‘There Is No Eye‘, we’ve had it as the opening song to our live show for about a year now and I think we placed it there because it’s a good intro to us but also escalates as the song goes on.”

3. Your 2018 debut EP called ‘SAD PARADISE’ has that pitch-black spellbinding
wall-of-sound that makes the hairs in the back of my neck stand up. What sort of vibe/feeling is it that you want to express/communicate with that sound?
KG: “I do believe the best songs kind of write themselves so it’s hard to say what we want to express specifically as the song kind of has a life of its own. When writing we like to explore and experiment so I suppose we like to escape with music but then control it enough to say something relevant. I suppose we want it to transport you a bit but not so far that it doesn’t mean anything. It has to mean something. We want our music to be layered and have a certain depth to it but also instantly grabs you.”
SL: “For me, I feel that it’s important to communicate something to your audience through music and that can be completely interpreted any way the listener wants to. All of our songs have meaning and are pulled from different stories, experiences and events, but we write them in a way that leaves it completely open to the person listening because then they can make their personal connection.”

https://open.spotify.com/album/2PYwEzYStpwW64AUaiNqD5?si=N8rhlbmJQLSfrV9NhRXg4w
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4. Now the excellent new 5-track EP ‘SHE DIVINE’ is out. Are the songs
connected in any way or rather individual compositions?
KG: “They are essentially individual compositions but as most of them are written
around the same time they do have the odd reference to similar themes and inspirations that were around us at the time. It can be a particular theme or something we’re reading at the time. I also remixed ‘Those with a Rope Around Their Neck‘ for the last track on the EP, so they are definitely connected.”
SL: “There’s some occult and religious references in there”.

5. The artwork for the EP puzzles me. Who designed it
and what’s the idea/story behind the image?
SL: “I design all of the artwork for our material, videos, posters, merch, etc. This one was taken from a photo of Batty May Golding, who inspired ‘Mae’s Desire’. We focused in on the defensive position of the arms around the shoulders and it represented more intense emotion than her face, which is equally as interesting. I used the colours in reference to the ones used on ‘Sad Paradise‘, although slightly different, I wanted to keep a theme there as the EP’s are supposed to almost act as a part 1 and 2.”

6. One of the EP’s track – last year’s single – is brilliantly titled ‘ THOSE WITH A ROPE AROUND THEIR NECK (DON’T ALWAYS HANG). Impulsively I thought about Nigel Farage and his lying gang who mislead the British people regarding the Brexit referendum. Are those the sort of people you wrote that song about?
KG: “Yeah pretty much. It’s about the accountability of people’s actions and how these people always seem to get away with it. It came from watching ‘The Good The Bad and The Ugly‘ whilst playing guitar. The film covers rough justice pretty well which I liked and at the time in the news there was a lot going on about Tony Blair’s Iraq trial plus I was obsessed with Dylan’s ‘Masters Of War’ so there you have it.”

7. The video clip for title track ‘SHE DIVINE’ brings characteristic retro psychedelic footage to mind. It could have been one of Pink Floyd’s early 60s clips. Why did you opt for this kind of visualization?
KG: “I think we’re pretty much influenced by a lot of the 60’s counter culture and it just seems to fit. We aim for a multi-layered sound which adds a bit of colour to our music so the video is a way of heightening this aesthetic.”
SL: “When I was making the video for ‘She Divine’ I wanted to focus on the idea of divine and the divine feminine. The visuals in the video tell the story of Ra, the Egyptian Sun God and brings in elements of the goddess Isis, of ma-gick, healing and protection, also the phoenix which features a lot on Ancient Egyptian symbolism. I wanted to mix that in with imagery of us and have a mirror effect to illustrate what you put out there is reflected back at you.”

8. Suppose you were asked to play a movie, that expresses your music visually,
on a big screen behind you while playing a show which one would it be?
KG: “Any one of the films from the ‘Man With No Name‘ trilogy.”
SL: “Maybe ‘Lucifer Rising‘ by Kenneth Anger.”

9. What song and/or album did you hear so far that
will end up in your best-of-the-year-list?
SL: “Something new that was released this year? L’Epée‘s album Diabolique is really good, although I recently discovered Erykah Badu, who’s been around for a long time, but I’ve never really gone out of my way to learn who’s big in hip hop and r & b, but she’s really cool, she does a lot of jazz/rap/hip hop. She’s a witch as well.”

10. Next step for BLACK DOLDRUMS?
KG: “We’re currently writing more material and putting plans in place for
recording an album. We’ll also be touring UK and EU next year.”

Thanks, Kevin and Sophia for the cool chat.
May the road rise with BLACK DOLDRUMS!

New EP ‘SHE DIVINE‘ here in full…
https://open.spotify.com/album/3WiD8bZYQeiIaqLTLzXEPy?si=YSF2zfTdSciizN3VV-HrDA
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(promo photos band via Black Doldrums)

Mind-Boggling Duo BLACK DOLDRUMS Dropped Fresh Haunting Cut From New EP – Here’s ‘MAE’S DESIRE’…

Posted on by JL

Daily fuel to load your sonic batteries…

30 August 2019

London’s psychedelic shoegaze duo BLACK DOLDRUMS will launch their new EP ‘SHE DIVINE’ on 6th September. Ahead of it the pair already shared its evocative and high-powered title track.

And now a second track of the EP is revealed. ‘MAE’S DESIRE‘ is a haunting stonker that thunders non-stop, pushed by bloodthirsty drums and echoing guitar flamboyance. Its stormy pace and bewitching impact will mess up your hungry mind the way you like it, both disturbing and bizarrely attractive. This is another winner. Check out the fever right here…


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Psychedelic Shoegaze Duo BLACK DOLDRUMS Share Clip For Single ‘SHE DIVINE’ From Upcoming EP…

Posted on by JL

Clips that will have an impact on your eyes and your ears…

23 August 2019

London’s psychedelic shoegaze duo BLACK DOLDRUMS release their new EP ‘SHE DIVINE’ on 6th September. Ahead of it the acclaimed pair released its title track as a single. The evocative song refers to Aldous Huxley’s 1954 masterpiece The Doors Of Perception and the tragic story of Betty May Golding, a 1920’s singer, dancer and model who was a member of the London Bohemian set.

‘She’s Divine’ is a high-powered and dynamic sockdolager. Its lively beat, zestful drive and reverberant vocals result in a haunting sonority that will affect your aural reception. And the accompanying video clip will impact your visual perception. Listen/watch here…

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